


Catching Fire

by JadeJem



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Character Development, F/M, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, Post-Revel, Pre-Relationship, Some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 08:23:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17199986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeJem/pseuds/JadeJem
Summary: "Aren't you cold?"Marinette jumped and whirled around, her hand falling back to her side. She relaxed. "Adrien, really, what have I told you about sneaking up on me?"Adrien shrugged, though he didn't look sorry as he walked closer, hands stuffed into his pockets. "Can't help it if my cat-like abilities transfer over. You're awfully easy to scare, LB."His face was bathed in moonlight that shone in his hair like a white halo, making the gold appear almost platinum blond. The dip of his jaw faded into the shadows his chin cast, and it reminded Marinette of rolling waves on the shore.He was unfairly attractive.





	Catching Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, loves! Jade here and wow this was about 5,000-6,000 words longer than I thought it would be! I really went to town on this whole New Year, New Me thing, huh? This was a piece for the Event Team on Miraculous Amino.

"Marinette, what are you doing?"

Marinette stubbornly ignored Alya and continued adding to her lengthy list.

"'Do yoga every morning before school'? Marinette, what the ever-loving  _hell_?"

Marinette sighed and set her pencil down, rereading her forty-ninth item before nodding in satisfaction. She glanced up at Alya, her attention no longer divided. "What?"

Alya snatched the list from in front of Marinette, her eyes running over maybe five before she looked at Marinette incredulously. "These are  _ridiculous_."

Marinette swiped the list back and folded it into quarters before standing from their lunch table and stuffing it into her pocket. "No, they're not." She sounded unconvincing even to her own ears.

Alya followed Marinette to her locker. "Girl, we both know the chances of you waking up at  _eight_ are slim. There's no way you're going to get up early enough to do yoga before school."

"Maybe I will," Marinette grumbled, rummaging through her locker before closing it and jumping. "Adrien! You have  _got_ to stop doing that."

Adrien smiled innocently from his casual stance: his elbow positioned above his head as he leaned against the row of lockers. "Doing what?"

Marinette rolled her eyes and pressed her two textbooks against his chest. "Hold these."

"Yes, ma'am." He winked at her bemused look.

Marinette turned back to Alya to see her raising an eyebrow. "Why aren't you guys dating yet?"

The matching blushes were answer enough.

Marinette cleared her throat. "If you'll excuse us, Alya, Adrien and I have History."

"That we do, Bugaboo," Adrien teased into her ear as Marinette sped away from her judgmental best friend.

"I can always count on you to make a joke out of something," she muttered half-heartedly, earning her a concerned frown.

"You okay?" he asked, shifting her textbooks to his right hand so he could brush her hand with his left.

She winded their fingers together and squeezed, if only to reassure him. "Fine. Alya was making fun of my New Year Resolution list."

As they entered the History classroom, their hands slipped apart; their classmates wouldn't understand the intimacy of their relationship without trying to put a romantic label on it.

(Not that Marinette would have a problem with putting a romantic label on it, but Adrien had just never brought up feelings after they'd revealed their identities a good two months ago.

...She really wanted to date him.)

"List?" Adrien queried skeptically as they took their seats in the third row. "I'm already worried."

"Hush," Marinette laughed, lightly punching his arm. "They're simply goals I want to meet in the new year."

Adrien slid her textbooks over to her, and she expressed her gratitude by doodling a flower on his wrist with the skinny sharpie she'd uncapped. "What are they?" Adrien asked, watching her add detail to the blossoming rose.

Marinette hummed, only half in the conversation. "Just simple things involving health and self-care and other stuff like that."

"Can I see the list?"

Marinette stopped, accidentally allowing the sharpie tip to leave a large dot on his skin. "Uh," she said eloquently, recalling a couple of the goals she'd written down about Adrien specifically as she capped her marker. "No?"

He intercepted her gaze, eyebrow raised and the corners of his mouth perked upward. "No?"

She pressed her lips together and nodded, distracted by the emerald of his irises. "Nope."

His smile widened, the gleam in his eyes knowing. "Where's the list?"

Marinette's eyes narrowed into slits. "Unless you plan to grab my ass in the process of retrieving it—and Adrien Agreste, you'd better keep your hands to yourself—you're not going to get it."

The glint in his eyes was nothing short of mischievous. "Why, My Lady, I would  _never_."

Marinette, suddenly wary, shifted her derrière away from the center of her seat. "I'm having some doubts,  _Chaton_."

His answering smirk set her further on the side of unease. Though, in the deepest recesses of her mind, excitement and challenge whispered things that made her want to blush and slap herself all at once.

She would have glared at her racing pulse if she could.

The teacher thankfully chose then to start class, her gaze locked on Adrien and Marinette as she emphasized her need for "absolute silence."

Adrien passed her notes throughout the hour and a half period even though she neglected to answer any of the questions he posed in his unfairly nice script.

**_Are you trying to lose weight? Because believe me, you're in amazing shape and don't need it._ **

She'd kicked him in the shin.

**_Eating healthier? But what's sweet enough to replace the sweets you bring me from the bakery if you cut yourself off? I mean, aside from you, of course, but I don't want to diet, too. :(_ **

"How did you fit all of that on a post-it note?" she had whispered, leaning toward him so as not to be heard by the professor.

"Same way I can fit my abundance of good looks through the door."

Marinette snorted. "It's the ego fitting that I'm worried about."

**_I_** **_s it cardio? I think we get enough of that, but if you want more, I'd be more than willing to assist you. ;)_ **

Marinette had knocked the wind out of him by punching him in the stomach for that one.

After some obvious hesitation on his part, he passed her another note with only fifteen minutes remaining in the period. Marinette eyed it before raising a brow. "Is this going to deserve a physical response?"

His tentative smile morphed into a shit-eating smirk. "Only if you will it so, Princess." He caught her fist that time, obviously having expected her indignation.

She made a move to nip at his fingers with her teeth. He jumped away from her with a delighted bark of laughter.

"Monsiuer Agreste, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng! I'm sure you'll have no problem finding your way to Principal Damocles's office for interrupting me for the fourth time  _this class period_ _._ I don't care if it's the last day before winter break."

Marinette winced and closed her spiral notebook. Adrien waited for her in the aisle, and the two quietly made their leave, the note he'd passed her still on her desk, untouched.

"Well," Adrien blew out a breath when they were no longer in the classroom, disturbing his hair, "that could have gone better."

Marinette shrugged. "I had a feeling she was going to kick us out at some point. I've had her as a teacher for three years in a row, and she's never liked me."

Adrien gasped. "Someone not liking you? Unheard of. We should take revenge."

Marinette giggled and shoved his shoulder. "Shut up, there are people that dislike me. Lila, Chloé—"

"Ohh that reminds me." Adrien's laugh was nervous. "Chloé doesn't dislike you—far from it, actually. She's had a crush on you for  _years_ —"

_"What?!"_

"—and I mean who doesn't honestly? Everyone likes you. Even  _I_ —"

He stopped talking.

Marinette's thoughts tripped over themselves. She stopped walking altogether, hoping to pause and gather the information she'd just acquired. Adrien stopped, too, and the expression on his face was a mixture of fear and concern. "Marinette...?"

"Um."

And then she turned and sprinted back the way they'd come. By the time she reached the front steps of their high school, the final bell was sounding loudly overhead. Marinette took a second to glance back and found that Adrien had caught up to her (curse his long legs).

Marinette slipped on one of the ice-covered steps in her rush to hurry down and went flying through the air. Adrien shouted her name, but was too far behind her to do anything.

Realizing this, Marinette took the situation and visualized spots.

She landed on her bare hands, elbows bending, and launched herself forward, her momentum easily carrying her into a front handspring. Her boots hit the snow with a  _crunch_ , perfectly parallel. She slowly spun on her heel.

Adrien stared at her from the top step, mouth open and eyes wide.

Marinette made a panicked noise before taking off once more, eyes searching for a secluded area.

"Marinette! Would you wait?!"

No, because Marinette's best way at dealing with things was to literally run away from them and give herself time to think.

She ducked into an alley and called for her transformation, ignoring Tikki's pleas for reason.

Ladybug launched herself into the sky just as Adrien rounded the corner, cursing.

She zipped across the city, fully aware of her partner only mere meters behind her.

"How are you so fast?" she asked herself, frustrated that she couldn't seem to escape him.

"Ma—Ladybug! Just wait, please!"

Ladybug's heart hammerd against her ribcage; she felt utterly overwhelmed. Was it a joke? Had he meant it? Could he have simply meant that everyone liked her  _platonically_? Oh, god, did she read too much into what he was saying? Was she being totally ridiculous?

Ladybug finally allowed her screaming arms a rest, landing in a roll on a rooftop. Chat landed right behind her, equally out of breath. He straightened. "Ladybug, just let me explain—"

His eyes widened as she spun to fully face him, ran up, and captured his lips in a searing kiss. He barely had time to react before she was pulling away, heart pounding as her entire face flushed with heat.

And then she left him once more, finding her way back to her room before picking up her pillow and screaming into it.

***   *   ***

The first day of winter break was the following day, and Marinette spent it working the bakery counter while her parents cranked out dessert after dessert.

When Adrien stopped by, she hurriedly excused herself to the bathroom and stayed there until she was sure he wasn't lurking downstairs.

The next few days were similar. Her parents seemed to notice her pattern of disappearances, though they didn't say anything on the matter.

Ladybug was almost unresponsive during akuma battles, denying Chat when he begged her to stay and talk to him after a fight (though it hurt her greatly to do so).

It didn't take long for Alya to notice the sudden rift between the two during their first outing together as a group a couple of days before Christmas.

"Nino and I are going this way," Alya announced suddenly, already pulling Nino toward the eastern side of the mall.

Marinette opened her mouth to argue, but Adrien cut her off. "Alright, we'll go this way."

They walked in silence for a couple of minutes before Adrien said, "Do you want to get coffee?"

Marinette winced, guilt and humiliation rearing up in her chest. "I don't want anything, but you can get some while I shop."

Adrien pursed his lips, hurt flashing in his eyes. Marinette looked away with a painful clench of her heart. "Marinette, please talk to me."

Her pulse raced with nerves, and she gripped her coat. "I'm sorry."

Adrien pulled them aside, incredulity written across his face. "For what? Mari, talk to me," he repeated. "What did I do?"

Marinette's throat began to ache, and she dreaded the building of her tears. "Nothing. You didn't do anything, I just—" Her voice cracked, and she cut herself off, no longer trusting that she wouldn't cry right then and there.

Adrien's hands found her shoulders. "Mari," he said softly, and the guilt came roaring back within her. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, fighting the sting in her eyes. "I'm stupid," she stated, looking down at their feet. "So stupid. I overthought what you said on the last day before break, and then I  _didn't_ think and kissed you, and—and I just want to pretend it never happened." Marinette looked up to meet his gaze for the first time in a week, blinking back tears as they threatened to spill over. Her smile was watery. "Can we pretend that didn't happen?"

His expression went from a storm of emotions to carefully blank. "Yeah," he murmured finally, his hands falling to his sides. "If that's what you want."

She nodded, still teary-eyed, though her humiliation was subsiding. "Thank you." She stretched up onto her tiptoes and hugged him, so utterly grateful for such an understanding partner. Of course he'd never disregard her feelings and outright reject her as she'd feared—he would  _never_ hurt her.

She quenched the urge to take his hand in hers like she otherwise would have, hyperaware of the fact that she might have made everything awkward.

 _At least I don't have to avoid him any_ _more,_ she told herself, and already, she felt so much better.

***   *   ***

The Christmas party Max had volunteered to host in his mansion-like home (not quite a big as Adrien's, but close) was something Adrien had been looking forward to since the invite he'd received days prior to winter break.

But now that he was there, trying and failing to soak up the holiday cheer, all he could do was feel miserable.

After he'd finally managed to get Marinette to say something other than "cover me" to him, their relationship had gone back to normal (with less touching on her part, much to his chagrin). He'd spent every day following the 22nd at her house, even waking up early to help out in the bakery with her so he'd get to be around her for longer.

Admittedly, it had been hard to not flirt and make her feel awkward about everything—especially with him having feelings for her. Had he not made it obvious enough? Considering the fact that he'd been hitting on her for about a month, his feelings toward her should be clear as day.

Why was she under the impression that he didn't like her back?

He wanted to tell her so bad, it hurt. Shutting up and respecting her request had been agony when all he'd wanted to do was sweep her up and kiss her.

He wasn't sure how much longer he could take not doing anything knowing that she had feelings for him.

"Adrien? Are you okay?"

Adrien blinked himself back to reality and looked down to find Rose, who was wearing a concerned smile. "Yeah, fine," Adrien said gruffly, his eyes darting around the large living room until he spotted Marinette, who was laughing at something Nino was saying.

"You like her, don't you?"

Adrien choked and coughed on his own spit. "S-sorry, what?"

Rose smiled softly and offered him a cup of what looked like eggnog. "Why don't you tell her?"

Adrien sighed and accepted the cup, taking a draw from it. "It's complicated," he muttered in the rim of his cup.

Rose eyed him for a moment before speaking again. "Love isn't as complicated as you seem to think. When you love someone, you tell them, and if it's meant to be, it'll be. If it's not, then it won't. Simple as that."

Adrien smiled at Rose's efforts. "Thanks. You're right, but... there's a lot more going on than just that." He watched Marinette as she spoke rapidly to a small group of her captivated classmates, her eyes alit with adventure. "She basically told me that she had feelings for me and assumed I didn't feel the same. I've been trying to make it obvious that I like her, but she doesn't seem to see it. She almost cried when I tried to tell her I felt the same, and now... I'm trying to respect her need to forget her admission ever happened, but I want her to know that I love her."

His words hung in the air, and Adrien ran a hand through his hair and tore his gaze from Marinette with a heavy sigh.

"You love her?" Rose's eyes glistened, and Adrien startled in horror when he realized that she was tearing up.

"Rose!" he whispered, looking around in a panic. "Don't cry!" His hands fluttered around her, not touching and unsure of how to comfort her.

Rose sniffled and smiled. "Sorry, it's just so... romantic! She's liked you since forever!" She suddenly grabbed his shoulders and shook him roughly. "You _have_ to tell her!"

Adrien blinked a couple of times before he nodded, suddenly determined. "You're right."

Rose made a sound of agreement before releasing him and marching off, finding Juleka before running her mouth (probably about what had just happened).

Adrien turned to find Marinette once more only to catch her gaze. She blushed and smiled, waving him over. He smiled back, feeling lighter than he had in a while.

***   *   ***

Adrien spent the majority of Christmas Day with Marinette, Alya, and Nino. His father had actually sat down and shared a nice breakfast with Adrien before sliding a package across the table. Adrien, surprised, had opened it to find a familiar watch—his mother's watch. The hug he'd given his father had probably choked the man, but Adrien hadn't found it in himself to care. 

He'd shown up at the Dupain-Cheng's at around 8:30 AM, balancing six packages. Tom had opened the door and laughed heartily, ushering Adrien inside and helping him with the poorly wrapped presents.

He'd gotten one for Sabine, one for Tom, and four for Marinette. He didn't feel as if he'd overkilled in any sense of the word, but all three Dupain-Chengs had insisted that he "didn't have to."

"I know I didn't have to," Adrien said, smiling at all three of them, "but I really wanted to."

The beams he'd received had made his heart swell.

"I'm going to go get dressed," Marinette told him after all the unwrapping was done, a trash bag full of the presents she'd received from her parents and him in hand.

Adrien nodded and watched her until he could no longer see her. After that, he made polite conversation with Tom and Sabine, who gushed at him about dating their daughter.

By the time Marinette was ready to go with him to meet up with Nino and Alya, Adrien's face was flushed in embarrassment.

"Maman! Papa! What did you say to him?" Marinette hissed, looking horrified.

Tom and Sabine merely chuckled and waved them off.

"Hey," Adrien said as they walked, "you're wearing the coat I got you."

And she was. The scarlet color looked divine on her and contrasted beautifully with her bright blue eyes.

She beamed up at him. "Of course I am. It's gorgeous."

 _You're gorgeous_.

He gave her a side hug as they stopped and waited for the crosswalk signal instead of saying as much.

Nino and Alya hadn't beaten them to the ice skating rink at Champs de Mars near the Eiffel Tower, and it was safe to say that the rink itself wouldn't be bustling with people for another hour or so.

"Want to go now or wait?" Adrien asked Marinette, already grabbing her hand and leading her toward the counter where all the skates were.

Marinette grinned and let him pull her to the counter. They hurriedly got their skates on and stepped onto the rink one at a time.

Adrien had never been bad at ice skating, but he wasn't exactly a pro. He recalled the time he'd gone ice skating with Kagami, Marinette, and Luka and cringed. That had been four months ago.

So when Marinette stepped onto the rink and skated a lap at the speed of light, he was thrown for a loop.

And then she did it again.

Backwards.

"I've been practicing," Marinette admitted when she came to a perfect stop in front of him, sheepishly scratching the back of her neck. "I'll skate slower, if you need." There was a hint of teasing in her tone, and Adrien snorted.

"No, thank you," he huffed, letting himself slide past her on the ice. "I can skate just fine."

Marinette giggled and glided around him until she was going in literal small circles, sometimes facing forward, sometimes backward.

"Okay, show-off," Adrien grumbled, grabbing her arm and throwing her off balance as he used her to propel himself forward.

With another laugh, she came up behind him and literally started pushing him along. "Come on,  _Chaton_. I thought you said you could keep up?"

At her prompting, Adrien began to skate faster, careful, but gaining steady speed. Marinette came up beside him, though she was skating backward so she could face him as they chattered idly, unaware of the rink slowly filling.

Alya and Nino were a good half hour late, though Adrien suspected that that was purposeful. Nino was awed by Marinette's ease on ice (being so awful himself—hah), but Alya wasn't surprised, claiming she knew that Marinette had been spending weekends on ice since winter had hit.

They were there for two hours before the crowd became too thick. They ditched the rink and took a metro to the mall, where they got coffee and walked around, using their new gift cards on post-Christmas super sales.

Adrien ended up spending $400 on his friends, who whined in protest with every purchase.

"It's because I forgot my presents for you guys at home," he admitted to Alya and Nino while the three of them waited for Marinette to come out of her dressing room stall. "Besides, those Vans looked great on you guys."

Nino and Alya shared a small smile at the mention of their new matching Vans. "Thanks, dude," Nino said earnestly, clapping Adrien on the shoulder. "You didn't have to."

Adrien chuckled just as the stall door clicked open. "Everyone keeps saying tha—"

Marinette was standing in front of them, her smile uncertain as she turned to and fro in her light pink cami dress. The black and white bomber jacket matched the high-tops she'd gotten earlier, and the cami dress—well. It certainly did things for her figure.

"Damn, okay," Alya cat-called, pushing off from the wall and making her way toward Marinette. "I see you, girl." She grabbed Marinette's hand and spun her, making Marinette laugh.

Alya made sure to waggle her eyes when Marinette's—ahem—derrière was facing Adrien's general direction.

Adrien swallowed and tried hard to fight the blush rising to his cheeks.

"I like the color, but it's kind of... tight?" Marinette cringed as she look at her reflection in the mirror, turning every which way. "The material is stretchy, but it clings more than I thought it would..."

Nino shrugged. "It looks good, but only get it if you're comfortable with wearing it."

Marinette turned to Adrien, a question in her eyes.

He would mention the fact that she paraded around in a skin-right spandex suit if Nino and Alya weren't there. Instead, he subtly tapped his earlobe, to which Marinette looked confused for a moment before she flushed a pretty pink, her mouth forming an 'o' shape.

"What do you think, Agreste?" Alya asked impatiently, clearly annoyed at her inability to understand the silent conversation happening between Marinette and Adrien.

Adrien cleared his throat and nodded a lot harder than he meant to. "Yes. Definitely yes. I mean—it looks very—it's—ah, yes." He shoved his hands into his pockets and bit down on his tongue to keep himself from saying more.

Alya looked satisfied with his answer as she herded a very red Marinette back into the changing stall. "You're getting that," she said to the closed door, to which a small hum of embarrassment answered her.

The rest of break was spent mostly with his friends (sometimes the entire class). His father had graciously given him time off from his job as a second Christmas present, something Adrien thanked him for every time he saw Gabriel (about seven times over the course of two weeks).

On New Year's Eve, another party was being hosted courtesy of the Bourgeois family. Chloé had invited the class to the event when Adrien had mentioned how much everyone was looking forward to the new year, claiming that she was, indeed, making an effort to be a better person.

(And she was, Adrien noticed, starting to have better relationships with her classmates.)

The first thing he did after finding out about the "formal event—dress attire only" was call Marinette.

"Hummm," she said into his ear. "I'm not sure if I wanna go."

Adrien frowned up at his dark ceiling. "Why not?"

"Because I look weird in ball gowns."

Adrien snorted. "Yeah, because  _that's_ possible."

"Adrien," she whined, rustling around in what Adrien presumed to be her bed sheets. "I'm serious. I feel awkward. Besides, do _you_ wanna third-wheel Alya and Nino?"

"A little," Adrien admitted softly. "We could just do our own thing while they did theirs."

"I thought you didn't like black tie events?"

"I don't, but my friends are going to be at this one. Plus you."

"'Plus me,'" she mocked. "Am I not one of your friends?"

Adrien rolled onto his side, smirking. "Jealous, My Lady?"

Marinette made a noise of indignation. "I refuse to support this."

"And I refuse to let you spend your transition into the new year watching  _The Princess Diaries_."

"Adrien, you're the one who got me the DVD for Christmas."

"Potato, patato."

"No, potato,  _DVD_."

He chuckled. "Please come? I promise I'll keep you entertained."

"You really can't go without me?"

"Nooo," Adrien groaned dramatically, flopping back onto his back. "It's not the same without you."

Marinette's sigh filled his ears. "Fine, but we're matching your tie to my dress so we don't look stupid together."

Adrien beamed. "That's never stopped us before."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

***   *   ***

Marinette had never been one to complain about shopping but this?

This was ridiculous.

"Alya, I swear to God," she threatened as she threw off the seventh gown she'd tried on in the last two hours of searching. "You're being too picky."

"I want you to look as perfect as I'm going to look," Alya stated from the other side of the dressing room door unabashedly. "Otherwise, it'll be unfair, and I won't be able to be seen with you."

"Ha-ha," Marinette muttered sarcastically, reaching for the next option Alya had so graciously picked out for her: It was the color of frost on a cloudless day and plead into a layer of thick skirts that were three times as wide of Marinette was herself. "I can already tell you that you won't like this one."

"Just try it on," Nino groaned. "And put me out of my misery, while you're at it."

The strangled "ow" following his commentary made Marinette crack a smile.

She resigned herself to shimmying into the dress, picking at the semi-itchy sleeves. She turned toward the full-length mirror. "I look like Elsa but Asian."

"Let me see!" Alya demanded impatiently, her voice filtering through the crack in the stall door.

"Okay, okay." Marinette opened the door and stepped out, gritting her teeth awkwardly. "No?"

"It's a nice color on you." It was the first time Adrien had spoken in the last half hour. He wasn't looking directly at her.

"Spin." Marinette shot Alya a 'look,' but spun anyway. "Hmm. It doesn't make your boobs look as good."

Adrien burst out into a string of sudden, raging coughs, drawing the attention of the other three in the room. He shook his head, his cheeks a ruddy brick red. "Sorry," he wheezed. "Allergies."

Four gowns later, Marinette was unresponsive.

"Alya," she sighed. "Your boyfriend is going to maim you."

Nino, who was close to sleep despite it being only five minutes past three, murmured a vague, "Hmm?"

Adrien had been involved the entire time, becoming more vocal with each option (because of his background in fashion, Marinette reasoned fairly).

There was only one more dress left untouched, and Marinette's eyes widened upon seeing it. She hurriedly shimmied her way out of the prior dress (another purple one that really just wasn't her color), and started sending prayers up above.

_Please let it fit._

She easily slid into the final dress and found the make to be complementary to her body type. She reached back and zipped up the zipper.

_Please let it look good._

She slowly turned toward the mirror in her changing stall, dreading the possibility of it looking awkward on her as others had.

She stared. Her hands fluttered toward her scarlet skirts and smoothed them out gently. There were rose petals caught in the folds at the bottom, and she suddenly felt like a Disney Princess. The torso wasn't tight, but it wasn't loose, either, and flattered her breasts in a way that the other dresses hadn't. The sweetheart neckline was smooth and surprisingly comfortable, fitting to her like a second skin.

"Marinette?" Alya queried. "What's taking so long?"

"I found the dress," Marinette murmured breathlessly.

"Let me see!"

Marinette shook her head before she realized Alya couldn't see her. "No, trust me, this is it." And then she began to strip.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, so  _help_ me—"

"I'll surprise you!" Marinette promised, her shirt barely on when Alya threw the door open. "Alya! What if I'd been naked?"

"Nothing I don't have," Alya muttered, her eyes scanning the dressing room. "Where is it?"

Marinette had shoved it behind the other dresses. She shrugged innocently. "Guess you'll never know."

Alya groaned and fell away from the doorway of the changing room. "Fine, fine. Be secretive."

"I plan to." Marinette winked. "Now leave so I can buy it."

Alya grumbled all the way out, unsympathetic toward her tired boyfriend.

"Bakery at seven?" Marinette called after her, grinning.

"Six!" Alya corrected, already out the door. "Be ready!"

Marinette shook her head with a smile as the store doors shut with a small ring before turning to Adrien, who was looking at her curiously. "I'll help you pick out a tie, but you can't see my dress."

Adrien sagged. "Aw, c'mon, Mari! I'm your best friend."

"So is she," Marinette pointed out, resisting his pleading stare. "I'm going to go get someone to give me a bag for the dress. No peeking!" And with that, she hurried off and tracked down an employee to bag her dress.

At the check-out counter, Marinette grimaced at the price. "Cash or card?" the girl at the register, Madelyn, or so her name card read, asked, her eyes not on Marinette.

"Er—" Marinette shifted uncomfortably when she found out what (who) Madelyn was staring at. "Um, c-cash?"

"I can pay for it," Adrien murmured, unbothered by Madelyn's gaze.

Marinette shook her head and smiled up at him. "That's okay, Adrien. You were already too generous on Christmas. I can handle it."

He smiled back, the kind of soft, genuine smile he seemed to reserve for her alone.

(She'd be lying if she said that Adrien having a special smile just for her didn't make her heart flutter.)

Marinette dug through her wallet and pulled out whatever savings she had. When she came up short $23, Adrien covered the difference without so much as blinking an eye. Marinette couldn't help but feel even more enamored of him than she already was—something she really needed to change, somehow.

They departed the store shortly after, Adrien graciously holding Marinette's bagged dressed by the hanger as they walked around, looking for a store that sold nice ties.

"Cinabre has nice things," Adrien commented as it came up on their left. Marinette ushered him inside and used the color palette of her dress (really, just a burgundy-scarlet) burned into her memory to search for and pick a tie.

"This one," she said decisively, holding up a simple but elegant burgundy tie.

Adrien admired it as she held it before him. "I like it," he decided, taking it from her hand before walking up to the counter, smiling politely in that charming way he does, and paying for it.

"Want to go home by car or metro?" he asked her as they walked toward one of the mall parking lots, hands in his pockets.

"Car," she responded, gently swinging the bag with Adrien's tie in it back and forth. "I used all of my cash."

She grinned sheepishly when Adrien shot her a 'look' as if to say  _I could have helped with that._

She shrugged him off. "It's not a big deal. Maman and Papa said they wanted to pay me for working in the bakery."

Adrien took the excuse and dropped the issue, instead picking up his phone and calling Gorilla, who only made them wait a few minutes before he was there and speeding them home.

"See you tomorrow at five," Adrien said as she climbed out of the car.

Marinette turned, dress hanger in hand, and raised an eyebrow. "I thought we agreed on six?"

Adrien grinned a grin that made Marinette picture the black mask around his eyes. "Alya and Nino are coming at six. I'm coming early to make sure you get ready on time."

Mariettte glared at him, though there was no heat in it. "What makes you think I need extra prompting?"

His grin turned crooked and earnest—yet another smile he reserved only for her. "Because I know you."

She slammed the car door, grumbling to herself and hating the way her cheeks warmed. She could get ready on time without his help.

***   *   ***

"Marinette?"

Marinette ignored the gentle call of her name.

"Marinette, are you in he— _Marinette_!"

Marinette jumped so hard, she whacked her arm against the wall. "Ow, ow, ow!" she whined, tears springing to her eyes as she sat up. "What the hell?!"

She blinked blearily, and she was not expecting what she woke up to.

Adrien was at the foot of her bed, but he looked different. His hair was combed back out of his eyes, though a few of the shorter wayward strands hovered over his forehead in rebellion. He was clad in a jet black tuxedo that hugged his arms just so, his muscle shape clearly defined. His burgundy tie was in place, and that's when Marinette remembered.

_"Oh my god! I am so late!"_

She ushered Adrien out of her room, rambling to herself everything she had to do in the next hour.

Adrien let her push him, and while he did try to reason that he could help, he was laughing so much that Marinette couldn't take him seriously.

The first thing she did was hop in the shower and scrub herself down, washing her hair as fast as she possibly could. She hopped out and toweled it before entrusting her hairdryer to get the job done.

Once it was dry (enough), she began curling it into little ringlets, which she then pulled back into a bun at the base of her neck. She swept her bangs aside, nodding in satisfaction when they didn't need extra help from hair spray.

She then moved onto the makeup (something she wasn't all that experienced in, but Alya had done hers enough times to leave at least a little expertise rooted in Marinette's mind). Since her skin looked nice as it was, she skipped the foundation and went straight for the under-eye concealer, if only to hide how tired she was (the akuma attack from that morning had really taken it out of her). Tikki helped by holding up a makeup mirror, commenting on how beautiful Marinette was.

Eyeshadow was easy enough, and she decided to go with a semi-smokey eye with a touch of bronze. She did her mascara in record time before she moved onto lipstick, to which she chose a red that would match her dress.

She admired her reflection, impressed with how fast she'd moved.

And then she checked her phone.

And screamed.

She had a good ten minutes until Nino and Alya would arrive.

She stumbled her way out of her bathroom and into her room, eyes searching. "Where did I put that damn dress?" She exchanged a panicked look with her kwami.

There was a knock on the trapdoor in her floor. "Marinette? Are you almost ready?" It was Adrien.

"Uh—yeah! Almost!" Marinette responded, her voice louder than she'd anticipated. "If I could remember where I put my dress," she added quietly."

"What was that?"

"Nothing! Give me a minute!"

She rushed and around her room, picking things up before throwing them back down. Tikki helped her by phasing through objects. Marinette's choice of shoes were next to her bathroom door, and she swiped them up and tossed them at her chaise.

After she'd basically torn her room apart for a good three minutes, breathing heavily and surveying the mess, her gaze fell upon her wardrobe, and she groaned.

Once her dress was officially on and just as gorgeous as it'd been the day prior, she slipped into her shoes and exhaled in relief. She'd done it. Somehow.

Voices carried up the stairs and into her room, and Marinette recognized them as belonging to Nino, Alya, and Adrien, who were probably chattering in the living room. With a final deep breath, she pulled her trapdoor open and descended the stairs, a small hand clutch in hand (Tikki was hiding in her dress, for lack of a better place).

"Finally," Alya said before really looking at Marinette. "Well, damn, girl."

Marinette laughed breathlessly, suddenly feeling bashful. "I made it in time," she pointed out, smiling sheepishly and making miniature jazz hands.

"You clean up nice, Marinette," Nino stated, nodding in approval. He and Alya had gone with a purple theme, his suit black like Adrien's, and tie purple, matching Alya's dress, which was more form-fitting than Marinette's and pooled at her ankles.

"You guys, too," Marinette responded, beaming before her attention was on Adrien.

He was oddly quiet, though his eyes were bright and gleaming as he stared at her. The moment felt oddly private, and Marinette wished they weren't in the company of anyone else right then.

He'd never looked at her like that before.

 _It's the dress,_ she told herself, shattering their eye contact before smiling as genuinely as she could. "Did I choose right?" she teased, hoping to fall back into a pattern that didn't make her heart ache.

Adrien merely nodded, though his eyes suggested,  _You're gorgeous, My Lady._

The four of them made their way down to the bakery, where Marinette's parents fawned over them and took at least a thousand pictures before letting them go.

Adrien had gotten Nathalie to let him use a big limo with seats that face each other, and Marinette gawked at the fancy set up as she clambered in.

Alya took the seat across from her, winking and mouthing,  _Hottie._

Marinette cringed into a laugh before mouthing back _, No you._

Adrien took the seat next to her, and their arms brushed, sending goosebumps up Marinette's spine despite the thick jacket she was wearing.

The ride there was fun, and Marinette was almost sad to have to leave the warmth of the car and enclosed space with her closest friends.

Alya and Nino ditched them, as they were the first out of the car, and Marinette watched them hurry up the stairs of City Hall, leaving Adrien and Marinette alone.

"Shall we?" Adrien asked, offering up his arm like the dork he was.

Marinette stifled a laugh and took it, but rather than leading her up the stairs, he took her toward the stone structure lining the water next to City Hall.

"Adrien," Marinette said pointedly, eyes flickering from him to the entrance to City Hall. "The party is that way."

"I know," Adrien said, releasing her arm as they stopped in front of the stone railing lining the area. "I just thought you'd want pictures to capture how breathtaking you look."

His words felt like a punch to the stomach, and Marinette, breathless, merely nodded and stood awkwardly along the railing as he backed away, her jacket in hand. "What do I do?"

Adrien laughed, fishing his phone out of his pocket. "Pose!"

It was weird; Marinette knew it was weird and clamped up with the camera pointed at her.

"Just be you," Adrien encouraged, one of his secret smiles playing along his lips.

Marinette blushed and looked away from the camera.

"Beautiful," Adrien said, drawing her attention back to him.

"Done yet?" Marinette asked, nervous of the way passersby were staring at her.

"Yeah," Adrien relented, waving her over. "Let's go inside."

This time, they actually went inside. It didn't take long for either of them to get whisked away by friends, all of whom teased Marinette and poor Adrien about their matching attire.

When she ran into Chloé on her way to the bathroom, she smiled a genuine smile and made polite conversation, aware of the way Chloé stiffened and stared at her like she was a serial killer come to murder her.

"You look amazing," Marinette said earnestly, motioning to the sky blue chiffon dress Chloé wore.

Chloé's cheeks darkened many shades. "I know," she snapped, flustered. "But, um... You look amazing, too."

Marinette, surprised by her admission, replied with a bright smile before excusing herself to the bathroom.

It'd been a good two hours—she checked her phone, and it was somehow nine o'clock. Three hours until midnight. She hoped Alya was planning on ditching, because Marinette didn't know if she could last another three hours.

When she returned to the hall, she was approached by a nice boy from her Physics class (Zachariah? Isaiah?) who asked her to dance. She accepted his hand with a polite smile and let him lead her onto the dance floor.

It turned out, his father was a colleague of the mayor's and was, therefore, invited to tag along. Apparently, he'd also been interested in her, as he queried about Adrien for a large portion of their conversation.

 _Are you interested in him or me?_ Marinette wanted to ask, but didn't, instead choosing to be relieved by the cadence of the song they'd been dancing to.

Another hour or so passed, and Marinette had barely seen Adrien. "So much for keeping me entertained," she muttered, disappointed at their lack of interaction. She wasn't quite sure why she'd let him talk her in to coming; he was probably off flirting the night away with a pretty girl that wasn't her.

Marinette let her negativity get the best of her and wandered away from the event, missing her coat as she stepped into a wall of cold air. She shivered and scrubbed her arms with her bare hands, a weak attempt to spark heat. She looked back and found herself glad she'd stepped out, though, as the bustle of the crowds was a little overwhelming and slightly lonely without her friends to keep her company.

The sky was much darker now that the sun had gone down. The blanket of stars overhead seemed dim in comparison to the shimmer of the Parisian city lights.

Marinette approached the stone railing she'd been leaning against when Adrien had been taking pictures earlier that evening. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest, and she brought a hand up and rested it over her heart, as if she could protect it, somehow.

Then again, it was a little late for that.

"Aren't you cold?"

Marinette jumped and whirled around, her hand falling back to her side. She relaxed. "Adrien, really, what have I told you about sneaking up on me?"

Adrien shrugged, though he didn't look sorry as he walked closer, hands stuffed into his pockets. "Can't help it if my cat-like abilities transfer over. You're awfully easy to scare, LB."

His face was bathed in moonlight that shone in his hair like a white halo, making the gold appear almost platinum blond. The dip of his jaw faded into the shadows his chin cast, and it reminded Marinette of rolling waves on the shore.

He was unfairly attractive.

"Maybe," was all she said in response, tearing her gaze from his face.

"I'm sorry," he said after a beat of silence. "I was looking for you for a majority of the night, but I kept getting distracted. I hope you don't think that I deserted you."

Marinette looked at him in surprise as he leaned against the stone railing beside her, ignoring the pang at the idea of what was keeping him distracted. "You were? How did you know I was out here?"

Adrien scratched the back of his neck—a nervous tick. "Alya told me. She wants to ditch now so we can do something fun before midnight."

"Thank god," Marinette muttered. "I don't think I could last another hour and a half."

"Me neither," Adrien admitted, his eyes on the moon. "But I did want to have at least one dance with you."

Marinette poked him in the side. "It's never too late to ask."

He met her gaze, his eyes a whirlwind of green and emotions she couldn't put names to. He stood and was suddenly across from her, holding out his hand with a small smile. "Can I have this dance?"

Marinette took his hand, mirroring his smile. "Of course,  _Chaton_."

The music was faint, but Marinette could hear it as Adrien led them into a rhythm. This moment felt private, and she was glad that they were alone as he held her.

She counted the golden flecks in his eyes: 14 in the right and 11 in the left. His breath ghosted her face, smelling of clove and mint. His cologne smelled similar, she realized faintly as they drew nearer.

She'd never been good at dancing, but Adrien made it feel easy. He made everything feel easy.

Her head came to rest on his chest as her hands wound around his neck. His heart was beating triple-time against her ear, and she wondered if it was because of the cold or something else.

His hands braced themselves at the base of her back before wandering toward her hips—an intimate gesture that drew a sharp inhale from Marinette.

For a moment, she believed she was dreaming.

"Adrien! Mari! Are you guys coming?!"

They broke apart, and Marinette blushed at the imprint of his body heat that remained.

"Yeah," Adrien called back. He turned back to her, his expression not giving anything away. "I think everyone's going to the rooftop patio of Le Grand Paris. Let's go." He took her hand in his, not leaving any room for argument.

Marinette numbly allowed him to pull her along, her pulse throbbing in her ears.

By the time they arrived at Le Grand Paris, Marinette could safely say she was starving.

"Are they gonna serve us food?" she asked Alya as they walked ahead of the two boys.

"I hope so because I'm starving. Why didn't we go out to eat before this?"

Marinette shrugged and checked her phone.

**10:45 PM**

The first thing Marinette did when they got inside was search for a bathroom—not because she had to go, but simply because she was suddenly inspired to check her New Year Resolutions list.

"Marinette," Tikki said dubiously over her shoulder as they stared down at her list. "Remind me of the point of this again?"

"To set goals for myself and motivate me to do something better."

"Marinette," Tikki said again, tone even. "These are  _ridiculous_."

"I don't see how exercising more is ridiculous."

"You're a  _superhero_. You don't _need_ it."

"Well, maybe I do," Marinette huffed, folding the list into quarters before stuffing it back into her handbag.

The elevator doors opened to chaos. Teenagers in suits and ball gowns were everywhere, talking loudly, eating from a table with food platters, running around, and a few had even found themselves in the pool, fully clothed.

Marinette scanned the rooftop for her friends before spotting them by the food, talking animatedly. She went over and joined in on the conversation, overly conscious of Adrien, who had come to stand beside her.

Fifteen minutes until midnight found the crowd of fifty or so students settling themselves down on blankets and pillows provided by the hotel. An employee had managed to wheel a TV onto the roof and set it up so everyone could watch the ball drop at midnight.

Marinette was splayed across Alya's lap, her hair coming loose from its low bun. Alya was talking to Mylène and and couple of other girls Marinette didn't recognize.

Adrien's head laid on Marinette's stomach, though he'd put a blanket over her skirts so it would be less itchy. He was on his phone, reading something.

"Hey," she said softly, nudging him with her knee. "What're you doing?"

He looked up at her, his face still illuminated by the light of his phone screen. "Reading Ladynoir fanfiction."

Marinette barked a sharp laugh. "You're joking."

He wasn't.

He turned the screen around for her to see and—

"Oh my  _god_ ," she gasped, swiping the phone from his hands. "This is a thing?"

Adrien chuckled, and the action echoed in every corner of her body. "Yeah. People love Ladynoir. It's actually not all about us falling in love, though. Some of it involves pretty interesting character development." He winked at her, and Marinette wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

"Hey." He prodded her in the side. "Let's do something."

Marinette sat up, no longer on Alya. He grinned up at her. "Like what?"

"Walk around or something. I'm bored."

"Adrien, the ball drops in like ten minutes."

"But I'm bored, Bugaboo. I want to read you Ladynoir fanfiction out loud."

Marinette stifled her laughter. "Fine. I need to stretch my legs, anyway. No fanfiction, though. I don't want to be scarred for life." She winked.

He looked offended for a moment before shrugging and getting to his feet. He offered her a hand, and she took it and allowed him to pull her up.

They picked their way through the crowd of teenagers, Marinette giggling when Adrien tripped over someone's arm.

By the time they were safely in the elevator, they were laughing almost hysterically at their own clumsiness. Adrien reached forward and pressed the second floor button.

"Why the second floor?" she asked him.

"Because the view is perfect."

He was right.

He took her into an open dining hall. One of the walls was made of windows and pillars that showed a spread of the city. It was empty minus a long table stretching the room.

He didn't bother turning on the lights, instead pulling her over toward the windows. He dug out his phone and pulled the drop of the ball up, the volume low.

Marinette watched the sky. Every now and then, small wayward fireworks would go off, scattered and alone in the sky.

**11:54 PM**

"Marinette," Adrien said suddenly, disturbing the silence. "Can we talk?"

Marinette's mouth went dry. "Yeah, of course." Her own words felt sticky in her mouth.

"I need you to listen, okay? No interruptions."

Marinette hesitated before nodding.

Adrien took a deep breath, and his eyes to slid to meet hers. "Before I knew you were Marinette, I was in love with you."

Marinette flinched, unable to help it, but didn't say anything.

Adrien continued. "I was in love with your charisma, confidence, and the adventure in your eyes. You were the prettiest girl I'd ever seen, and being with you always gave me a thrill.

"And then I grew up and realized what I was feeling wasn't love, but infatuation. Part of me argued that I knew you like the back of my hand, but deep down, I knew that there was this whole other person that I hadn't met before. Ladybug was real, yes, but she wasn't a whole person, for her flaws were few.

"When I realized this, it broke my heart. I wanted nothing more than to be with you and love you with everything that I had, regardless of your imperfections. You told me no so many times that it began to hurt; you had every right to deny me the unveiling of your face. So instead of an identity, I looked for the girl beneath the mask; the girl who made off-handed comments, who knew Alya better than she should have, who was fiercely loyal to those she cared about, who didn't always know what she was doing, but could put on one hell of a show. I didn't know your name, but slowly, I'd managed to scrape deeper than the surface.

"And then, one day, you asked me if I wanted to know who you were. I remember saying, 'I do know who you are, My Lady.' You thought I was joking, but I was serious. 'You know my antics, maybe,' you'd said, 'but you're missing eighty-five percent of the puzzle pieces.' You were right, and I was trying to learn the difference between love and infatuation, and then I saw your face and realized that I already did. It felt almost as if I'd known that Ladybug was Marinette the entire time.

"You allowed me to get closer after that. You allowed me to breach boundaries and push my luck. I was never sure why, but I wasn't going to ruin it by asking questions.

"It was your facial expressions, first, I think. They were just so utterly  _you_ _._ I learned the meaning behind each and every one, trying to divulge myself in your language so I could always understand what you were feeling and guess at what you were thinking. And you let me. You let me read you like a book, no longer keeping me at arm's length.

"Then, came your body language. It was harder to understand your body language because it was less expressive, but at some point, I was able to tie your reactions together and link your meaning of anger and happiness and stress. And then I wanted to know more; I looked at you every single day and wanted to learn more about you more than I'd ever wanted something before. The more you let me, the more I did.

"After maybe two weeks, I recognized the odd tightening in my chest and the butterflies that ran rampant when you were near for what they were. It was the first time I'd felt the difference between infatuation and love; the infatuation didn't cause my heart to clench and burn in desire the same way love did."

He wasn't looking at her, but out the window, his body here, but his mind elsewhere. Marinette couldn't stop staring at the reflections of the stars in his eyes.

"I was afraid more than I was happy; you'd always brushed off my advances as Ladybug, and I was worried that if you rejected me, it would hurt much, much more than it would have before I knew that Ladybug was you. I kept my feelings to myself, but after a month, I started to lose the reins on my filter and what I said.

"You didn't really seem to notice, but your comebacks made me see spots and wonder how I'd never made the connection before. It didn't take long for me to feel an ache in my chest when I wasn't around you; I constantly craved your presence and attention, and I was willing to do whatever it took to get either as much as possible. Again, you didn't seem to notice, but always indulged me anyway."

His gaze found hers, and he reached for her hands, entwining their fingers. "Marinette, I didn't fall in love with you. I walked into love with you, my eyes open and heart blazing. I just needed you to know that I'm crazy about you." His grin was wide, as if he wasn't baring his heart to her.

Marinette wasn't sure what to feel, in all honesty. She hoped she wasn't staring at him like an idiot, but she couldn't be sure. Her heart was thundering in her chest as his words shot arrows through her. She felt the thunk of each one sinking into its target.

She didn't know what to say, but she hoped that crashing their lips together would suffice.

Sparks of color went off to her right, but she couldn't care less. She leaned into him, her body fitting against his like a missing puzzle piece as she wound her hands through his mass of hair.

She vaguely registered the screams and cheers above them, and what small part of her that wasn't lost to Adrien reminded her that meant that it was the new year.

 _New year, same me. New year, same Adrien. New year, new us,_ she decided.

Yeah, that sounded perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed that! I wrote it over the course of two days somehow (the last time I wrote 10K words, it took me literally a month wtf).
> 
> Just wanted to let you guys know that I will continue adding to this, but most of my writing attention is going to go to my novel.
> 
> Xoxo, J.


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